Alberta artists, students headed for Olympics

Alberta will be sending much more than elite athletes to the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, a provincial official announced Tuesday.

Provinces have been invited by Olympic authorities to "come and take advantage of the world spotlight, and to try and extend the benefits beyond just the Vancouver and British Columbia area," said Russ Tynan, executive director, Olympic and Paralympic Secretariat for Alberta.

Alberta will do that in a venue called Alberta House in downtown Vancouver, adjacent to the site where Olympic ceremonies will take place.

The facility will have a public plaza featuring artists and performances, as well as interactive screens to share information about the province with Olympic visitors.

Feist, Corb Lund, and the Alberta Ballet are among the acts confirmed for Alberta House, with more announcements expected, Tynan said.

There will also be a more private area where Alberta business people can connect with their colleagues from around the globe.

The province is also involved in a partnership with ATCO Ltd. to add some Olympic flavour to the resource company's leadership program for young people.   

"There will be some 166 students from across the province who'll be coming out [to Vancouver] and taking a look at what celebrating excellence is like at the sport and cultural level on the world stage." Tynan said.

The Alberta House initiative has a budget of $6.6 million.